Smolov squat program: a grueling squat experiment

The Smolov squat program is one of those routines people rarely joke about. It is a tough, demanding squat-focused cycle with a packed schedule that takes a real mental toll. Its aim is simple: increase your rep max and make your body work hard.

Translated by Janar Rückenberg. The original article is based on Ken James’s experience, but the text here has been rewritten for clarity and readability, preserving the core of the program, the numbers and the translator’s notes.

Why take on the Smolov squat program?

I’ve always considered myself fairly adventurous when it comes to experimenting with my training. I’ve tried HIT, Dinosaur Training and traditional bodybuilding training, and recently completed the “Power to the People” and “The Russian Kettlebell Challenge” systems. So the thought of trying the Smolov squat program didn’t scare me either.

People spoke about this program in serious tones on the forums. They described it as a grueling ordeal rather than a pleasant change of pace. Experienced squatters treated it with respect, almost as the Holy Grail of squatting. There was talk of unbearable weeks, training volume that left you limping and, at the same time, worthwhile strength gains.

Here’s a funny thing about me: when someone tries to scare me off something, I often find myself drawn to it instead. That’s exactly what happened with this program. I put everything else aside and decided to work my way through Smolov.

An important warning from the outset: this is no beginner’s leg day. Nor is it a “do a few squats and see how it goes” kind of program. If your squat technique isn’t solid, your lower back can’t handle the training load or your recovery is poor, you need to get the fundamentals in place before considering a cycle like this.

The Smolov squat program starts with your rep max

Before you get started, the first step is to establish your squat 1 RM, or 1-rep max. Everything over the next 9 weeks is based on that number. The original program runs for 11 weeks, but the version used here skips the intervening 2-week adaptation phase and moves straight into the intensity phase.

The initial phase involves 4 hard squat days a week. That sounds like a lot, and frankly, it is. The first week starts on Monday: 4 x 9, meaning 4 sets of 9 reps, at 70% of your one-rep max. If you’re used to doing 5 reps or fewer, this is quite a wake-up call.

Wednesday brings the next squat day: 5 x 7 at 75% of your 1 RM. Friday doesn’t give you much time to rest either: it’s 7 x 5 at 80%. And if you think that wraps up the week, think again. Saturday has 10 x 3 at 85% of your 1 RM waiting for you.

After the first week, you may feel you’ve had enough. But the second week repeats the same pattern, with 10 kg added to every working weight from the previous week. If you did your 4 x 9 with 110 kg in the first week, for example, you’ll be doing it with 120 kg in the second. If your 10 x 3 was at 135 kg in the first week, it will be at 145 kg in the second.

Things don’t get any easier in the third week. Another 5 kg is added to all working sets. The progression is the same: you added 10 kg in week 2, and in week 3 you add a further 5 kg. This is where the program really starts to bite mentally.

After the third week, you’ve earned a rest. In week 4, you take a break from squatting until Thursday or Friday. Then you warm up thoroughly and attempt a new 1-REP MAXIMUM.

Ken James started with a 157 kg squat. In the fourth week, he squatted 182 kg. That’s a gain of 25 kg in the first 4 weeks. Many people would stop there, because that is already a very substantial increase. He kept going.

How does the intensity phase of the Smolov squat program work?

The intensity phase is the core of the entire program. If the initial phase’s 4 x 9 felt hard, this is where you find out why Smolov is feared. In phase II, you squat 3 TIMES A WEEK, and all percentages are calculated from the new 1-rep max you established at the end of the first phase.

The 5 weeks of phase II

Week I
Monday: 65% x3, 75%x4, 85%x (3 x 4) + (1 x 5) (1 set of 5 reps)
Wednesday: 60%x3, 70%x3, 80%x4, 90%x3, 85%x 2 x 5 (2 sets of 5 reps)
Saturday: 65%x4, 70%x4, 80%x 5 x 4 (sets of 4 reps)

Week II
Monday: 60%x4, 70%x4, 80% x4, 90%x3, 90%x 2 x 4 (2 sets, 4 reps per set)
Wednesday: 65%x3, 75%x3, 85%x3, 90%x3 x 3, 95% x3
Saturday: 65%x3, 75%x3, 85%x4, 90%x4 x 5 (4 sets of 5 reps)

Week III
Monday: 60%x3, 70%x3, 80%x3, 90% 5×5
Wednesday: 60%x3, 70%x3, 80%x3, 95% 2 x 3 (2 sets of 3 reps)
Saturday: 65%x3, 75%x3, 85%x3, 95% 4 x 3 (4 sets of 3 reps)

Week IV
Monday: 70%x3, 80%x4, 90%5×5
Wednesday: 70%x3, 80%x3, 90% 4×3 (4 sets of 3 reps)
Saturday: 75%x3, 90%x4, 95%x 3 x 4 (3 sets of 4 reps)

Week V – attempting a new personal record
Monday: 70%x3, 80%x3, 90% 2 x 5, 95% 3 x 4
Wednesday: 75%x4, 85% 4×4
Sunday – SETTING A NEW PERSONAL RECORD

When Ken James started, he could do 1 full squat with 157 kg. Ten weeks later, he was doing 3 sets of 4 reps with 173.5 kg. On paper, the sets scheduled for Monday of the final week may look impossible, but by the time you get there, your body has already adapted to much of the work.

That does not mean those sets are easy. The first time I had to do 5 x 5 at 90% of my new max, it felt like the end was near. The final reps of the last set demand such intense concentration that all you can think about is getting back up. Virtually every last muscle is working.

The record attempt itself did not go perfectly. I got the warm-up and the build-up in weight wrong: 60 kg x 5, 100 kg x 2, 140 kg x 1, 182 kg x 2, then straight to 210 kg. Going down was easy; getting back up was another matter. In hindsight, it was clear that I should not have done 2 reps with 182 kg. A better approach would have been 1 rep at 182 kg, followed by 192 kg before the final attempt.

The final result was still impressive. In total, I added 35 kg to my squat in 11 weeks. That is why Smolov is sometimes called the Holy Grail of squat programs. The program works, but it takes its toll.

The Smolov squat program in practice, day by day

Translator’s note: the original Smolov program lasts 11 weeks. It included 2 weeks of box work, light resistance, and fast, explosive work between phases. That section has been left out here because the version below offers a clearer, more direct approach to squat specialization in practice.

Another change: you do not necessarily have to squat on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday during the first 4 weeks. The version below follows a rolling schedule that avoids squatting on consecutive Fridays and Saturdays. This gives your knees, hips, and lower back a little more breathing room.

Phase I
Day 1 – SQUAT 4 X 9 (70%)
Day 2
Day 3 – SQUAT 5 X 7 (75%)
Day 4
Day 5 – SQUAT 7 X 5 (80%)
Day 6
Day 7 – SQUAT 10 X 3 (85%)
Day 8
Day 9 – SQUAT – 4 X 9 (70%) + 10 KG
Day 10
Day 11 – SQUAT 5 X 7 (75%) + 10 KG
Day 12
Day 13 – SQUAT 7 X 5 (80%) + 10 KG
Day 14
Day 15 – SQUAT 10 X 3 (85%) + 10 KG
Day 16
Day 17 – SQUAT – 4 X 9 (70%) + 10 KG + 5 KG
Day 18
Day 19 – SQUAT 5 X 7 (75%) + 10 KG + 5 KG
Day 20
Day 21 – SQUAT 7 X 5 (80%) + 10 KG + 5 KG
Day 22
Day 23 – SQUAT 10 X 3 (85%) + 10 KG + 5 KG
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
Day 28 – NEW RECORD AT THE END OF THE FIRST PHASE

Phase II
Day 29
Day 30 – PHASE II (PERCENTAGES FOR THE SECOND PHASE ARE CALCULATED USING YOUR NEW RECORD)
Day 31 – SQUAT – 65% x3, 75%x4, 85%x (3 x 4) + (1 x 5) (1 set of 5 reps)
Day 32
Day 33 – SQUAT – 60%x3, 70%x3, 80%x4, 90%x3, 85%x 2 x 5 (2 sets of 5 reps)
Day 34
Day 35 – SQUAT – 65%x4, 70%x4, 80%x 5 x 4 (sets of 4 reps)
Day 36
Day 37
Day 38 – SQUAT – 60%x4, 70%x4, 80% x4, 90%x3, 90%x 2 x 4 (2 sets of 4 reps)
Day 39
Day 40 – SQUAT – 65%x3, 75%x3, 85%x3, 90%x3 x 3, 95% x3
Day 41
Day 42 – SQUAT – 65%x3, 75%x3, 85%x4, 90%x4 x 5 (4 sets of 5 reps)
Day 43
Day 44
Day 45 – SQUAT – 60%x3, 70%x3, 80%x3, 90% 5×5
Day 46
Day 47 – SQUAT – 60%x3, 70%x3, 80%x3, 95% 2 x 3 (2 sets of 3 reps)
Day 48
Day 49 – SQUAT – 65%x3, 75%x3, 85%x3, 95% 4 x 3 (4 sets of 3 reps)
Day 50
Day 51
Day 52 – SQUAT – 70%x3, 80%x4, 90%5×5
Day 53
Day 54 – SQUAT – 70%x3, 80%x3, 90% 4×3 (4 sets of 3 reps)
Day 55
Day 56 – SQUAT – 75%x3, 90%x4, 95%x 3 x 4 (3 sets of 4 reps)
Day 57
Day 58
Day 59 – SQUAT – 70%x3, 80%x3, 90% 2 x 5, 95% 3 x 4
Day 60
Day 61 – SQUAT – 75%x4, 85% 4×4
Day 62
Day 63 – NEW REPETITION MAXIMUM (NEW RECORD)

Recovery, additional training, and the translator’s experience

During a program like this, you cannot carry on with the rest of your training as usual. As a bodybuilder, you naturally want to train all your other muscles too, but there is more to life during this cycle than squeezing in extra sets. You need to cut back on the volume of other exercises. Otherwise, your legs, lower back, and nervous system will not have enough time to recover.

One day a week can be a higher-volume squat day, with leg presses or other leg exercises after the programmed sets. On the other squat days, it is best to stick to the program as written. Depending on your split, you will need to train other muscles after squatting anyway.

Eating matters just as much as the barbell here. You may be hungry from morning to night. Eat, eat, and eat some more, because you need the calories to support this intense, frequent work. If your body weight goes up a little, that is no surprise during a cycle like this.

From the translator: I have been looking for something like this for a long time. My recent focus and priority have been developing strength and increasing the weights I can lift. Even before finding this program, I was squatting heavy for sets of three, four, and five reps. That approach took my squat from 200 kg to 225 kg.

I should point out that I do half squats, not full squats. My thighs go parallel to the floor, and that is as far as I go. There are several reasons: first, full squats make your backside very big, and second, my knees do not respond well to full squats.

My leg workout on the day I set the record looked like this:
1. weight – 120 kg 2 x 3
2. weight – 140 kg 2 x 3
3. weight – 160 kg 2 x 3
4. weight – 180 kg 2 x 3
5. weight – 200 kg 2 x 3
6. weight – 210 kg 1 x 1
7 weight – 225 kg 1 x 1
8 weight – 175 kg 1 x 10
9. weight – 155 kg 1 x 12

I only used knee wraps for 210 kg and 225 kg. Why use the same weight 2 x? I’m not really sure. I feel I need it. It’s the second set that wakes up my fast-twitch muscle fibers and lets me move on to the next weight. I especially like the 175 kg and 155 kg sets at the end, where I try to give it everything I have left.

Interestingly, if I tried to do 10 reps at 175 kg straight away, I probably couldn’t. But when pyramiding down after the heavy weights, my body somehow feels more responsive. It doesn’t feel easy, but I feel ready to push harder.

FAQ: Smolov squat program

Is the Smolov squat program suitable for beginners?

It’s not a good fit. You should have solid squat technique and be used to handling a heavy barbell first. If your 1 RM test is already chaotic, you’re not ready for this program.

Can you do other training during the program?

You can, but you need to reduce the volume. Be especially careful with back, hamstring and additional leg training. Recovery determines whether the program makes you stronger or simply breaks you down.

Does Smolov only build strength, or does it build mass too?

The main goal is strength and a higher squat repetition maximum, but the high volume can also build muscle mass. For that to happen, your food intake and sleep need to keep pace with the training load.

Original text: My Smolov Sguat Experiment Ken James

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